Performance: How your skin performs is more important than how it looks

Correct. Control. Repair. These are words we hear often when it comes to the beauty industry. When it comes to the health of our skin, our ethos centres around one word; performance.

Part 2 of our 3 part series brings us to pillar #2 - Performance. At 10&Co, performance is about more than just surface beauty. Our philosophy goes deeper, with a focus on how our bodies perform on the whole and how this affects our skin's health, tone and appearance.

We believe in an approach to beauty that is grounded in health and a routine that can be sustained as a daily practice. Much like we would approach wellness or fitness, how we care for our skin daily - both inside and out - impacts how it performs. We're mostly encouraged to focus on the result - how our skin looks. As the saying goes, appearance is only skin deep and nourishing our skin at a cellular level is what leads to true, long lasting skin health and the glow we're all aiming for.

What we eat.

Inflammation & Irritation.

Most concerns visible on the surface of our skin are in some way linked to or exacerbated by our diet. For example, if you have a tendency to be affected by rosacea, your skin may be triggered by dairy and foods that are more acidic, such as citrus fruits and tomatoes.

When inflammation occurs in the body, this elevates our cortisol levels, inhibiting skin performance. Wound-healing slows and the breakdown of collagen increases. Remembering that our skin is an organ is key; just like we're conscious about what we consume for the health of our heart and our kidneys, being conscious for the health of our skin is a major factor in keeping it smooth and vibrant. We are what we eat!

How we move.

Get up & glow.

Our skin cells also have their own internal clocks. That's right. And understanding how circadian rhythm - our body's 24hr internal biological clock - works with our skin is an important factor in how our skin performs. For example, stem cells in our epidermis reproduce mainly at night, which is why many people find their skin to be most radiant and feel most healthy in the morning.

Sweaty betty.

However you choose to get it done - ; ) - working up a sweat first thing in the morning offers huge benefits, not only for our overall health and fitness, but also for the wellness of our skin. As well as detoxifying cells and regulating temperature, exercise also helps to increase blood flow, carrying oxygen and nutrients to working cells, whilst carrying away 'cellular debris' or waste, such as free radicals.

What are free radicals? In simple terms, they are "oxidative stress" or the stress effect on our living cells when our body metabolises oxygen. Antioxidants are the vitamins and minerals our body uses to counteract this process, which is key for a healthy, glowing complexion.

What we use.

If you wouldn't eat it.

When considering what ingredients we include in our formulations, we first look at what foods we eat to help our bodies perform. We go a step beyond just 'Would we eat it' to consider 'Will it help us to thrive?'

Certain plant-based ingredients - when consumed and when applied - work to accelerate the performance of our skin cells. The potency of enzymes in some of our fruit oils; the deeply nourishing properties of the Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids in our hemp and grapeseed oils; the rejuvenating nature of mineral and nutrient-rich Dead Sea mud - all selected for their individual abilities to boost skin performance and enhance our natural beauty

A daily skin practice.

We train our bodies regularly and consistently to keep them fit and performing at their best. We commit to a meditation practice to help our mind destress, be present, be still... and a byproduct is that our mind will usually perform better.

Our skin is no different. Consistently caring for your skin as a daily practice is what promotes and preserves the health of your skin, long term. Forget anti-ageing, we are pro-performance. Whatever age you are, you can commit to a skin practice that will have you - and keep you - glowing on the daily.

Skin practice tip: A simple and sustainable way to introduce one ritual in your daily skin practice is to take your bottle of Motherlover, add 3 or 4 pumps to your palm and rub it over your arms and legs before getting into the shower. It will provide the double benefit of nourishing your epidermis and protecting skin from the stripping effects of hot water. And... you're done!